Virgin party giver has 5yo dd's party in 2 weeks. aaaaaaargh!

[jumble]

I haven't ventured down the party route yet, two reasons, DD is a bit shy, and so am I! she is now at school and has been to a few parties, wants one desperately, and I have agreed that she can have one. So far they have been in play centres or a particularly full-on princess production in a village hall today (which, needless to say, was amazing!), but we cannot stretch to this and are are going to have 19 of her friends to the house. I cannot reduce the numbers any further, only 10 are from her class of 30, and we need to invite another 7 from friends and family. I am starting to lose sleep at the thought of having all these children here with me having to take charge. Apart from the usual, practical food and games suggestions, can anyone offer me any confidence boosting ideas/support?

Can you afford an entertainer - or if not have you any friends/family, older cousins etc that might help out with traditional party games?

Sorry that isn't very confidence boosting but 19 kids at home is quite a lot!

I've got my sister, who is good at being 'full-on' in the way party entertainers seem to be, and DH is promising to be 100%, but seems to be waiting for direction! I guess I'm just feeling a bit unnerved at the professionalism of the parties we've been to and am harking back to my 'simple' childhood memories of musical chairs and jelly and ice-cream, just can't remember what we did in-between! Does no-one give the birthday person 'the bumps' anymore?

My best friend and I have 3 children each and have the party thing down to a fine art:

1hr 30 - 1hr 45mins ideally.
Table set up with strips cut for paper hats, plus shiny stickers etc. so they can decorate their own hats as an ice-breaker while everyone arrives.
Once they've all arrived, you do a treasure hunt for something like Celebrations that you've hidden around the place (on low shelves, under cushions etc.) They return the sweets to a central bowl and then you divide them up equally (they can eat them now or you could put them in party bags, whichever you prefer).
Then a game e.g. musical statues, musical chairs or similar (generally not musical bumps as too much opportunity for a fractured coccyx).
Then 'disco' involving DH playing a few tunes with option for 'spot prizes' e.g for great dancing, for being kind to little ones, whatever.
During this, you pull them out one by one to pin tail on donkey.
Tea.
Pass the parcel while you cut & wrap cake.
Send them all home with a party bag (which in my house, contains cake, bubbles, something like a little bead bracelet, a sparkly pencil and a balloon on a stick.)

Formulaic? Yes. Effective? Most definitely.

And if any of them have the gall to suggest it's not as exciting as a fully High School Musical 3 themed prom night party then you just fix them with your iciest stare and mentally strike them off the list for next year.

Thank you misshardbroom, this is just what I needed to hear! Sounds brilliant, exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you. Feeling a bit calmer about it today, have just finished doing the invitations so now it seems the clock is well and truly ticking!